KBUU Malibu Debuts KBU2 On FM 99.1 HD2

[Michi]

Sorry my second question came up first, but to add below, how about the sound quality especially for the HD4?

The station can allocate different bandwidths to each HD stream. Usually, the HD4 is used for the lowest quality stream. I believe that KBUU-LP is planning to carry National Weather Service on that stream eventually. Also, sometimes, the HD hardware makes adding an HD4 stream a little bit of a challenge. Not too many HD stations that I know of are using their HD4.

 

[KilowattKat]

Digital ERP is anywhere from 4% to 10% of the analog ERP based on whether there are any nearby first adjacent stations. This is better explained in our page about HD Radio for LPFM Stations.

Thank you! great information on HD and LPFM's. I know a lot more about it now than I did yesterday. Also, boosters for LPFM , that was new to me. Now, how about getting the FCC to permit an LPFM to feed a 250 watt FM translator? Just an idea!🤔

 

[Michi]

Thank you! great information on HD and LPFM's. I know a lot more about it now than I did yesterday. Also, boosters for LPFM , that was new to me. Now, how about getting the FCC to permit an LPFM to feed a 250 watt FM translator? Just an idea!🤔

An LPFM station can be the common owner of up to 2 FM translators with restrictions on location. A translator that is owned by someone other than the LPFM station can rebroadcast the LPFM station. In all of these cases, the FM translator must be able to receive the LPFM station over the air and the power restrictions of §74.1235(b) apply (250w @ 32m HAAT, east of the Mississippi and most of California and 250w @ 107m HAAT elsewhere).

An LPFM station can own up to two FM boosters, which are counted as "translators" for the two-cap.

Therefore, an LPFM can purchase an existing FM translator which can be utilized for the LPFM station either from the current authorized site or a different site/channel as allowed under the minor modification rules for FM translators. More information about FM translators and boosters commonly owned by an LPFM can be found in §73.860(b).

 

[spiritof67]

Michi/Michelle, do you know if J1HD ever considered having a 'City Pop' subchannel.? This style of music was similar in sound to what 'Yacht Rock' sounded like.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Michi/Michelle, do you know if J1HD ever considered having a 'City Pop' subchannel.? This style of music was similar in sound to what 'Yacht Rock' sounded like.

I have known Michi for decades. If there is such a thing as Japanese-language yacht rock, she probably knows more about it than you and I put together.

 

[spiritof67]

From what I've read, City Pop, like Yacht Rock, were terms applied to this kind of music from today's perspective. And by Americans. In Japan, this kind of music was just considered pop hits of the time.

 

[Michi]

Michi/Michelle, do you know if J1HD ever considered having a 'City Pop' subchannel.? This style of music was similar in sound to what 'Yacht Rock' sounded like.

City pop was a thing in the 80s. Songs that charted in the 80s can be found on J1 GOLD (as it was at the end of the Showa era). Before, J1 GOLD, we used to run "70s at 7 (PST)" and "80s at 8" segments on J1 XTRA (J1 XTRA used to be more localized to the Americas before J1HD, which is now the US [and specifically So. Cal] localized channel..) We may bring back things like that for J1 HD. Right now, I am still getting my feet wet on the newest of the J1 channels, but I hope we can do more with it as time goes by. With a terrestrial signal, albiet very limited in coverage, there is a lot of potential. We do run the Pacifica syndicated show "Green Bubble Tea" (which covers JPOP and KPOP) on Sunday nights. "Green Bubble Tea" also runs on J1 XTRA. I would love to see more submitted sustaining programs on J1 HD.

 

[dxsphere]

Not too many HD stations that I know of are using their HD4.

Out of 1,686 HD stations (that I know of) across the country, only 110 run HD4 subchannels.

 

[Michi]

Out of 1,686 HD stations (that I know of) across the country, only 110 run HD4 subchannels.

Just think if the FCC will ever allow an FM station to go all HD. I beleive we can have up to an HD8, IIRC.

 

[dxsphere]

Just think if the FCC will ever allow an FM station to go all HD. I beleive we can have up to an HD8, IIRC.

HD5, though you can multiplex with all-digital FM allowing for 15 HD channels. Nautel tested it at NAB 2015.

 

[Michi]

HD5, though you can multiplex with all-digital FM allowing for 15 HD channels. Nautel tested it at NAB 2015.

That looks pretty neat. I may need to contact Nautel to get more information on the 200 kHz spacing solution. This would obviously need to require some major changes to the allotments for each city and may prove to be a challenge for markets like LA, NY and Chicago where the major stations are every 4 channels and the minors are interspersed in the second adjacents in between (92.3, 92.7, 93.1, 93.5, 93.9, etc.. But, it can allow for more room for smaller LPFM stations and new market entrants. It would also be interesting to see what kind of protections are needed between channels in this all digital environment (D to A, A to D, D to D, co-, first-, second-, third- and IF).

 

[K.M. Richards]

Sadly, I have a feeling that, because all-digital FM is going to only make sense as the number of receivers in use in the marketplace, and we don't know how long it's going to take to get to critical mass on that number, I probably won't live to see it.

Which saddens me because that kind of exponential increase in the number of "stations" (listeners will likely think of each HD stream as a separate station) would mean that a lot of niche formats could be programmed that aren't viable under the present analog-dominated business model.

I'm reminded of that production TM did back in 1977 ("Tomorrow Radio") where there were so many stations -- via universal cable connections! -- that the ratings book was hundreds of pages thick. (If you've never heard it , here is a link to it at ReelRadio, free registration required to play it.)

 

[asugeorge1]

Sadly, I have a feeling that, because all-digital FM is going to only make sense as the number of receivers in use in the marketplace, and we don't know how long it's going to take to get to critical mass on that number, I probably won't live to see it.

Which saddens me because that kind of exponential increase in the number of "stations" (listeners will likely think of each HD stream as a separate station) would mean that a lot of niche formats could be programmed that aren't viable under the present analog-dominated business model.

I'm reminded of that production TM did back in 1977 ("Tomorrow Radio") where there were so many stations -- via universal cable connections! -- that the ratings book was hundreds of pages thick. (If you've never heard it , here is a link to it at ReelRadio, free registration required to play it.)

Sounds like HD radio has the all-digital capabilities of current digital television where some stations have 8 plus sub channels that offer a variety of niche programming to viewers. The problem with going to all digital HD radio, especially in the West, is that terrain really messes with the HD signal and, unlike analog where you can still listen if there is some static, it’s all or nothing with HD. This would be problematic in certain parts of Southern California where just the tiniest hill causes an HD FM signal to drop, even if the analog carrier is crystal clear.

As far as stations with HD-4 sub channels are concerned, let us not forget KKGO 105.1 FM HD-4 is the only place in Southern California where you can hear some form of oldies on the radio with their K-SURF format. Doesn’t do you much good, however, if you don’t have an HD radio or if you live outside the immediate area surrounding Mount Wilson in LA and northern Orange County.

 

[Michi]

I'm reminded of that production TM did back in 1977 ("Tomorrow Radio") where there were so many stations -- via universal cable connections! -- that the ratings book was hundreds of pages thick. (If you've never heard it , here is a link to it at ReelRadio, free registration required to play it.)

TM was spot on where it came to predicting Radio Aahs (including a reference to "Minneapolis St. Paul")...

 

[ZantennaG1]

I notice that Hawaii really invests in "cable radio". On the Oceanic Spectrum guide, a lot of local FM/AM's are on channels 900-1000. I have to wonder why, and I almost suspect that there is a certain lifestyle going on down there that promotes this...

Sounds like HD radio has the all-digital capabilities of current digital television where some stations have 8 plus sub channels that offer a variety of niche programming to viewers. The problem with going to all digital HD radio, especially in the West, is that terrain really messes with the HD signal and, unlike analog where you can still listen if there is some static, it’s all or nothing with HD. This would be problematic in certain parts of Southern California where just the tiniest hill causes an HD FM signal to drop, even if the analog carrier is crystal clear.

As far as stations with HD-4 sub channels are concerned, let us not forget KKGO 105.1 FM HD-4 is the only place in Southern California where you can hear some form of oldies on the radio with their K-SURF format. Doesn’t do you much good, however, if you don’t have an HD radio or if you live outside the immediate area surrounding Mount Wilson in LA and northern Orange County.

I'm curious if an all-digital FM mode would bring the subchannel count to 8, as you described, sort of like having DAB but on FM.

Now, I should mention that with hybrid analog/digital FM, the IBOC (why does anyone call it this, when it's adjacent channels?) signal is only 3-10% of the Analog signal, so a station broadcasting at 100kw, could, at most, have 10kw on HD. 105.9 WCFS in Chicago runs 4,100 watts analog and only 163 watts digitally, which is 3.9% of their analog signal; 106.9 WKVP Philadelphia runs a 38,000 watt analog signal and a 1,500 watt digital signal (again, 3.9%); KDKA Pittsburgh has 41,000 watts on their analog signal, and 1,955 watts digital (4.7%). With an all digital mode, you would be able to access the full 100% of power. At the same time though, we have noticed how bad ATSC 1.0 can be whilst moving around, but FM HD is on a different codec, which should help.

 

[spiritof67]

I notice that Hawaii really invests in "cable radio". On the Oceanic Spectrum guide, a lot of local FM/AM's are on channels 900-1000. I have to wonder why, and I almost suspect that there is a certain lifestyle going on down there that promotes this...


I'm curious if an all-digital FM mode would bring the subchannel count to 8, as you described, sort of like having DAB but on FM.

Now, I should mention that with hybrid analog/digital FM, the IBOC (why does anyone call it this, when it's adjacent channels?) signal is only 3-10% of the Analog signal, so a station broadcasting at 100kw, could, at most, have 10kw on HD. 105.9 WCFS in Chicago runs 4,100 watts analog and only 163 watts digitally, which is 3.9% of their analog signal; 106.9 WKVP Philadelphia runs a 38,000 watt analog signal and a 1,500 watt digital signal (again, 3.9%); KDKA Pittsburgh has 41,000 watts on their analog signal, and 1,955 watts digital (4.7%). With an all digital mode, you would be able to access the full 100% of power. At the same time though, we have noticed how bad ATSC 1.0 can be whilst moving around, but FM HD is on a different codec, which should help.

Why do you think cable radio is popular in Hawaii specifically?

Also, is the codec for ATSC 3.0 more robust in a real world setting?

 

[ZantennaG1]

Why do you think cable radio is popular in Hawaii specifically?

I didn't necessarily say popular, but a lot of articles I see about FM radio in Hawaii makes note of the cable network out there.

Also, is the codec for ATSC 3.0 more robust in a real world setting?

From what I've seen, so far yes! 🤩
Check out these vids:
ATSC 3.0's multiple layers and Western New York comparison:

Syracuse, NY indoors and in-car reception with small antenna:

Pittsburgh, PA car reception out to 75 miles:

Intractive features and signal reception in Tampa Bay, FL:

Signal comparison between ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 signals plus spectrum analyzer: